The Kilt that started it all.

[rmccool]

I've been interested in my heritage, especially on the paternal side, for many years. As a child, I thought that the family lineage was exclusively Irish, but later found out that we were Ulster Scots. I did quite a bit of research, including some on the subject of kilts and the proper wearing thereof, but didn't take it too seriously until a few years ago. At that point several things, including a visit to the Scottish Tartans Museum, led me to serious consideration of kilt wearing. Still, I procrastinated. I picked up a few kilt accessories - a nice day sporran, some hose, a dress belt and buckle - but couldn't quite bring myself to order a kilt. This was due in part to the cost of good quality Highland wear and in part to having misconceptions about when and where one might reasonably wear a kilt.

Then, early last year, I received an e-mail from a friend. He knew that as a police officer, rescue tech, EMT and firefighter, I'm a huge fan of 5.11 Tactical pants. He also knew that I was interested in kilts. He informed me that 5.11 Tactical was about to start making kilts, and included a link to the YouTube video. A little time online convinced me that it was almost certainly an April Fool's joke, but I also found that there was a movement afoot to persuade 5.11 to actually manufacture the product. "What could it hurt?" I thought. (Little did I know, then...) Having a kilt from my favorite clothing company seemed like a great idea, so I signed up on the 5.11 Tactical website - and the plan worked. Enough people requested the Tactical Duty Kilt that 5.11 agreed to make them, and I promptly ordered three: one in each of the available colors.

The TDKs weren't due to be shipped until September, but the damage was done; I was infected with the kilt bug. I wanted a traditional hand sewn, wool kilt in the Kentucky tartan, or at least I thought that I did... but they're not a small investment. It seemed safer to try something less expensive first. Of course, I still wanted a traditional look and good quality, and as our forum owner recently noted in another thread, achieving quality at a low price is difficult when it comes to kilt making. I also wanted a kilt in a tartan that had personal meaning for me.

Fortunately, I found Rocky and company at USA Kilts. Their semi-traditional kilt was exactly what I was looking for: traditional styling and appearance, good quality fabric (albeit PV), made to measure by people who care about quality, all at a reasonable price - and with the police memorial tartan as an option. I ordered one, along with matching flashes and a few miscellaneous items, and the rest is history. The semi-trad arrived before the TDKs, so it's technically my first kilt, even though it wasn't the first one that I ordered. I found wearing kilts, whether traditional on contemporary, to be both comfortable and enjoyable. (In fact, I'm wearing my black TDK while composing this post.)

Now, I have to be patient and wait for the kilts currently on order - including a bespoke one in the Kentucky tartan - to arrive. In the meantime, I'll just have to entertain myself with plans to acquire a nice Argyll jacket with matching waistcoat, a nice brown belt, a couple of new sporrans...